Fancy Seeing You Here
by westwingwolf
Summary: Jeff has to attend a society function with his mother. Guess who he sees there.


Disclaimer: If you recognize them, I don't own them.

Spoilers: Celebrity Pharmacology at least

AN: Written for eva_aftagrl at Milady_Milord

Jeff would rather be any place but here…a society function for endangered owls or cats or something with a disease. He stopped paying attention once he agreed to escort his mother after she reminded him that he skipped a visit last month. But what could he do? He had a date. Okay, it was a video game tournament with Abed and Troy with Pierce simultaneously trying to join and tell them how lame they were being.

Still, it counted.

And now he was paying for that weekend of fun by playing the doting son and forcing smiles for people he never met, couldn't remember, or didn't like. He was an expert at schmoozing. He was a lawyer after all. But this was different. He wasn't getting paid or courting a potential client. To make matters worse, there were no hot women here. All the ladies here were contemporaries of his mother and at least twenty years older than him. He wasn't in the market for a cougar, not that he thought any of these women could successfully play off that type anyway.

Wait. Seems he thought too soon. There was a hot brunette across the room talking to a group of ladies. Going by her dress, respectful enough for the occasion but still showcasing her smoking ass and a great pair of legs, he'd bet mid-twenties or early thirties. If only she would turn around, so he could throw her a bit of the Winger smile.

Oh no, his mother was on her way over to him. No doubt in order to force him to make small talk with some bridge friends. Damn it! Hot brunette would have to wait.

Perhaps he would have to rethink his questioning of God's existence because his mother was in fact steering him to the group of ladies including said brunette. He would play up the good son and witty guest, and with luck (who was he kidding, he didn't need luck) he would charm the dress off this woman later tonight.

Before he and his mother could encounter the group, and older brunette woman stepped away and approached them.

"Doreen, so good of you to come!" She brought his mother into a quick, friendly hug.

"Helen, I wouldn't have missed this for anything. I'd like to introduce you to my son, Jeff. He's such a sweetheart, giving up his night to escort his mother."

Jeff laughed like it was nothing, and shook Helen's hand. "Oh, don't let her fool you. I'm honored to be here with you, Mom." If he spoke loud enough for the brunette to hear him, well then, all the better.

"Nice to meet you, Jeff. Let me introduce the two of you to my daughter." She turned around to call to the group. "Annie."

Ann was a highly common name. Both variations on the spelling could mean millions of women had the name for either their first or middle name. And certainly a large portion of those women went by the nickname Annie. Still, Jeff knew as soon as she started to turn around, the mysterious hot brunette was in fact his one and only Annie.

Scratch that thought about whether or not God existed. God did exist, and now Jeff knew he also loved to screw with people. Apparently, tonight was his night.

As Annie walked toward them, Jeff tried to forget that he was checking out her back mere minutes ago. He also tried to ignore the fact that he was checking out her front right now. He had to remember he was standing next to his mother who would never forgive him if she knew his thoughts. Annie's mother would probably try to rewrite the laws if she knew. And Annie, well she would probably tell him to quit thinking and start acting, but it would cause a whole world of problems to their friendship.

His mother spoke first. "Hello Annie, your mother speaks very highly of you. And can I just say, your pictures do not do you justice. Jeff, isn't she lovely?"

"She's one in a million," he spoke honestly. There was no one in the world like Annie.

For her part, Annie smiled and tried to control her blushing before saying, "I don't know about that, but thank you both."

"Your mother also said you attend Greendale Community College and do very well there. Jeff is taking classes there as well. Of course, he doesn't know I knew because he never told me. I had to found out when the dean contacted me about him faking a class for credit."

Skipping over the part about his mother knowing he attended GCC and choosing this moment to tell him because that was so like her, he asked, "Why did the dean contact you?"

"He suggested I use my influence over you to convince you to take an independent study course with him."

"Sounds like our dean," Jeff said with pinched smile as Annie made her 'gross' face.

Helen asked, "I hear the campus is fairly small. Do you two know each other?"

"Jeff and I are in a study group together."

Doreen looked surprised. "You managed to get my son to join a study group? My dear, where have you been all my life?"

Annie blushed again before beaming at Jeff. "Actually, Jeff was the one who started the group."

Doreen turned a knowing eye on her son. "Who was the girl?"

"That's not important right now. We're actually more than a study group. We're friends, but Annie is the one who ensures we get some studying done. She's vital to the group. I'm not sure we'd all still be together without her." Part of him was talking her up so her mother would know how strong she was. He knew there were still some issues there. But he also meant every word. His own mother seemed to like Annie, but for some reason, he wanted his mother to know that he valued Annie. These were along the same thoughts that he was not supposed to be thinking.

"That's wonderful. I'm glad to know Annie has found a place where she feels comfortable. I've noticed she's gained a lot of confidence these last couple of years. Would you have had anything to do with that, Jeff?" Helen asked.

Annie fidgeted under the pressing question, and Jeff knew it was a slight to the girl she had been in high school. "I bet Annie's always had a strong will and a lot of confidence. She's had more of chance to showcase it now that she's at Greendale and on her own. I don't think I could have encountered a more worthy opponent." He was all for charming Mrs. Edison, but not at the risk of hurting Annie. Plus, Annie beamed at him, so any chance of her mother's wrath or even that of his mother was worth it.

Helen did not answer, but rather nodded in an accepting manner. Doreen, whether by coincidence or wishing to break the tension said, "Jeff, my drink needs refreshing. Would you mind?"

"Certainly, mom." Annie offered to join him and together they walked to the makeshift bar.

Annie spoke first. "Thanks for saying all those nice things about me. You didn't have to…"

He cut her off. "I meant them." He refused to drop his gaze but there was vulnerability in his eyes.

Annie smiled again. "Thank you."

"I wasn't aware you were on speaking terms with your mother again."

"It hasn't been easy, but I think she's finally accepting that I made the right choices for me. Even if she slips back into her old ways now and then."

"You'll get there. You can't help but make everyone proud of you."

Annie smiled softly again, but chose to move on to another subject. "So what brought you here? Couldn't get a date for tonight?"

"I could, but my last date was the reason I missed a visit with my mother so that's why I'm here now. Anyways, I made plans for another date next weekend."

"Yeah, Abed told me how you almost beat Troy's high score on Call of Duty."

Instead of denying it, Jeff went right to explaining, "I was so close, but then Pierce tripped and broke my concentration."

Annie laughed, "At least you were concerned for Pierce."

"Who said I was concerned? He tripped and fell right on me. Then made some inappropriate comment about how I made him fall because I wanted him in my lap."

Annie laughed again, and she and Jeff spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing. At one point, Jeff looked over at their mothers and thought he saw them smiling at him and Annie, but he couldn't be sure.

The End.


End file.
